Tourism Fiji and Air Pacific announce appointment of new U.S. PR partner

21 August, 2012

NADI, FIJI — Tourism Fiji and Air Pacific Ltd are pleased to announce the appointment of Ogilvy Public Relations as their new PR partner for all North America and United States communications, respectively. Ogilvy PR will work to promote both brands through a strategic mix of media relations, digital communications, and consumer marketing initiatives. Work begins in the fall.

“Ogilvy PR was selected based on highly competitive criteria following a tender process that garnered more than 30 expressions of interest,” stated Michael Meade, the acting CEO of Tourism Fiji.

“We were impressed by the team’s experience in destination marketing, creative approach to solving tourism challenges and proven ability to implement integrated campaigns,” added Meade. “The firm demonstrated a true understanding of our core mission and we believe they will be instrumental in taking the Tourism Fiji brand to new heights.”

Dave Pflieger, managing director and CEO of Air Pacific and Chairman of Tourism Fiji noted, “We and Tourism Fiji have a number of exciting developments in 2013 – a complete airline re-brand to ‘Fiji Airways’, brand new A330-200 aircraft to serve the Nadi – Los Angeles route and new products and services. We wanted the right partner in the U.S. who could help elevate the new ‘Fiji Airways’ brand to the next level. We felt that Ogilvy PR had the perfect combination of experience, strategy, and creativity to get us where we want to be. And we believe that the skill set they bring will benefit both Air Pacific, soon to be Fiji Airways and Tourism Fiji as we work closely together to build the brand of Fiji and increase awareness in North America of this amazing South Pacific Island destination.”

Ogilvy PR will also provide public relations support to enhance the brands among potential visitors and tourism officials as well as support and counsel for events, trade shows, partnerships and sponsorships. Led by the agency’s Consumer Marketing practice, which is led by Leslie Capstraw on the West Coast, the contract will be serviced from Ogilvy PR’s Los Angeles office. Ogilvy PR is part of Ogilvy & Mather, one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. In 2012, O&M was named Cannes Lions Network of the Year and Most Effective Agency Network by the Effies Global Effectiveness Index.

The Tourism Fiji appointment follows an extensive destination marketing audit completed in late 2011 that concluded there was a pressing need for a globally standardized Fiji brand that could be adopted and implemented in local markets. The Air Pacific assignment was initiated to help support the airline’s re-brand and new aircraft deliveries in 2013.

Michael Law, managing director of Ogilvy PR West commented, “Successful tourism communications and nation branding demands a deep understanding and vibrant storytelling of everything from cuisine, to arts, culture, unique experiences, history, architecture, and of course, airlines. Ogilvy PR is so very fortunate to support Tourism Fiji and Air Pacific, given its rich array of treasures."